Rope handle forming machine and method

A rope handle forming machine, comprising:

• a cylinder having a channel there along and a horizontal axis of rotation;
• a horizontal plane tangent to a top surface of said cylinder;
• an U-shaped forming plate mounted along said plane on one side of said cylinder, said U-shaped forming plate having an U-shaped opening therein and an open end oriented toward said cylinder;
• a D-shaped forming plate mounted along said plane at a distance from said U-shaped forming plate on the other side of said cylinder opposite said one side;
• means to feed a rope length into said channel;
• means to raise said rope length from said channel to a position above said plane;
• means comprising said U-shaped forming plate and said D-shaped forming plate to form said rope length into an U-shaped form, and
• means to affix said rope length in said U-shaped form to a handle patch.

A rope handle forming machine, comprising:

• a cylinder having a channel there along and a horizontal axis of rotation;
• a horizontal plane tangent to a top surface of said cylinder;
• an U-shaped forming plate mounted along said plane on one side of said cylinder, said U-shaped forming plate having an U-shaped opening therein and an open end oriented toward said cylinder;
• a D-shaped forming plate mounted along said plane at a distance from said U-shaped forming plate on the other side of said cylinder opposite said one side;
• means to feed a rope length into said channel comprising an inlet cone mounted at an end of said cylinder, said inlet cone having a rope guide therein having a first extremity along an axis of rotation of said cylinder and a second extremity near a circumference of said cylinder, in alignment with said channel;
• means to raise said rope length from said channel to a position above said plane when said channel is at a twelve o'clock position relative to said horizontal axis, comprising a push-up blade mounted in said channel and a cam mounted on a stationary shaft along said horizontal axis, and springs mounted between an inside surface of said cylinder and said push-up blade for urging said push-up blade against said cam;
• said cam having a lobe pointing at said twelve o'clock position;
• means comprising said U-shaped forming plate and said D-shaped forming plate moving toward each other, to form said rope length into an U-shaped form, and
• means to affix said rope length in said U-shaped form to a handle patch comprising means to form creases in said handle patch and means to encase portions of said rope length in said creases.